DCL-08-35, "Reminder to begin collecting data for the new lines on the OCSE-157 for FFY 2009 and resubmit data found to be incomplete or unreliable for previous years"

DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER

DCL-08-35

ATTACHMENT: Instructions for completing the OCSE-157 form (95Kb Adobe PDF)

DATE:September 19, 2008

TO: ALL STATE IV-D DIRECTORS

RE: Reminder to begin collecting data for the new lines on the OCSE-157 for FFY 2009 and resubmit data found to be incomplete or unreliable for previous years

Dear Colleague:

This letter is being issued as a reminder to start collecting data for the following lines on the OCSE-157 form beginning October 1, 2008:

Line 1d - State-Tribal IV-D Cases Initiated in This State Open at the End
of the Fiscal Year;
Line 1e - State-Tribal IV-D Cases Received From a Tribal IV-D Program
Open at the End of the Fiscal Year;
Line 1f - International IV-D Cases Initiated in This State Open at the End
of the Fiscal Year;
Line 1g - International IV-D Cases Received From Another Country Open
at the End of Fiscal Year;
Line 2f - State-Tribal IV-D Cases Initiated in This State With Support
Orders Established Open at the End of the Fiscal Year;
Line 2g - State-Tribal IV-D Cases With Support Orders Established
Received From a Tribe Open at the End of the Fiscal Year;
Line 2h - International IV-D Cases With Support Orders Established
Initiated in This State Open at the End of the Fiscal Year;
Line 2i - International IV-D Cases With Support Orders Established
Received From Another Country Open at the End of the Fiscal Year;
Line 33 - Number of Children Determined Eligible for Medicaid in IV-D
Cases Open at the End of the Fiscal Year (Optional);
Line 34 - Number of Children Determined Eligible for Medicaid in IV-D
Cases Covered by Private Health Insurance;
Line 35 - Cases with Medical Coverage Received From any Source; and
Line 36 - Amount of Cash Medical Support Received That was Assigned
to the State.

As indicated in AT-05-09, agencies were given the option of a phase-in period for the reporting of the lines listed above until Federal Fiscal year (FFY) 2009. Thus, as of the start of the FFY 2009 on October 1, 2008, all States must begin collecting these data and submit this information on the OCSE-157 report due by October 30, 2009.

We are also reminding States of the importance of correcting and resubmitting any incomplete or unreliable child support data reported for FY 2007 and previous years, and of other circumstances under which the States can resubmit data. States may only resubmit data if they fall into one of the three following categories:

A State's data were found to be incomplete or unreliable and are needed to
show improvement in performance for any measure.
A State's data were found to be incomplete or unreliable for paternity lines
5 and 6 (IV-D) or 8 and 9 (Statewide) for FY 2007, or lines 5 (IV-D) or 8
(Statewide) for FY 2006.
A State is changing its paternity establishment percentage (PEP) option
from Statewide (lines 8, 8a and 9) to IV-D (lines 5, 5a and 6) or from IV-D
to Statewide PEP for FY 2008. Data must be submitted for FY 2008 (lines
5, 5a and 6; and 8, 8a and 9) and for FY 2007 (line 5 or line 8), and,
perhaps, lines 5 or 8 for FY 2006 if the State performance is under 90%.

States may revise previously submitted reports by submitting new ones; however, all final revised reports must be in OCSE or postmarked no later than December 31, 2009, to be accepted.

When submitting the report, please be sure that an original is submitted to OCSE in Washington, DC, via mail or the Online Data Collection (OLDC), and a copy is submitted to the appropriate regional office. Officials are also reminded to place the State name in the appropriate field, mark the report new or revised, and indicate which PEP the State has chosen.

The OLDC system is the most convenient and efficient way to submit the required report, so we encourage all States to use this electronic system. For information on this system or to be issued log-on IDs and passwords, please contact Delores Johnson at (202) 401-5537 or at djohnson@acf.hhs.gov. If a State chooses to submit the 157 report through the OLDC system, it must also submit a hard copy to the regional office in addition to its submission through OLDC.

State officials should review reports for accuracy and make sure all fields are completed. Again, all final revised reports must be in OCSE or postmarked no later than December 31, 2009.

The reports should be sent to:

Department of Health and Human Services
Administration for Children and Families
Office of Child Support Enforcement
DPRE, 4th Floor
370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W.
Washington, DC 20447
Attention: Joyce Pitts

If you have any questions regarding this notice, please contact Joyce Pitts at (202) 401-5368 or e-mail her at jpitts@acf.hhs.gov.

Sincerely,

Margot Bean
Commissioner
Office of Child Support Enforcement